2004 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER ESP

422004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
The airbag sensors constantly monitor the
forward deceleration of the vehicle. If an
impact results in a forward deceleration
beyond the designed threshold level, the
system triggers the airbag inflators. At this
time a chemical reaction in the inflators
very quickly fills the airbags with non−tox-
ic gas to help restrain the forward motion
of the occupants. The airbags then quickly
deflate, so that there is no obstruction of
the driver ’s vision should it be necessary
to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
loud noise and release some smoke and
residue along with non −toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This smoke may
remain inside the vehicle for some time,
and may cause some minor irritation to
the eyes, skin or breathing. Be sure to
wash off any residue as soon as possible
to prevent any potential skin irritation with
soap and water. If you can safely exit
from the vehicle, you should do so imme-
diately. Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi
gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, primarily to the head and chest, it
may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These
are usually in the nature of minor burns
or abrasions and swelling, but the force of
a deploying airbag can cause more seri-
ous injuries, especially if an occupant’s
hands, arms, chest or head is in close
proximity to the airbag module at the time
of deployment. This is why it is important
for the occupant to: avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the
occupant and the airbag module; sit
straight and well back into the seat; wear
the available seat belt properly; and sit as
far as possible from the airbag module,
while still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, airbag cover and inflator) may be hot
for several minutes after deployment, so
do not touch! The airbags inflate only
once. The windshield may be damaged by
absorbing some of the force of the inflat-
ing airbag.CAUTION
The driver or passenger who is too
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board during airbag deployment can
be killed or seriously injured. Toyota
strongly recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
The passenger sit as far back as
possible from the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
For instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seating position, see
“—Seat precautions” on page 28.

682004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
Headlights and turn signals
SB14009a
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1—Parking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2—Headlights and all of the
above
Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer will remind you to turn the lights
off when the driver’s door is opened if you
remove the key with the headlights left
on.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.
Daytime running light system
The daytime running light system can
make it easier for others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day. This sys-
tem can be helpful in many different driv-
ing conditions, but they can be especially
helpful in the short periods after dawn and
before sunset.
This system will make your headlights
come on at a reduced brightness when:
The engine is running.
The parking brake is released.
The headlight/turn signal lever knob is
in the “OFF” position or position 1.
To turn on the other exterior lights and
instrument panel lights, twist the knob to
position 1.
Twist the knob to position 2 to turn the
headlights to full intensity for night driving.
SB14019
Highlow beams— For high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)—Pull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with the knob turned to “OFF”.

722004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
Make sure you turn the defogger off when
the window is clear. Leaving the defogger
on for a long time could cause the battery
to discharge, especially during stop−and−
go driving. The defogger is not designed
for drying rain water or for melting snow.
NOTICE
 To prevent the battery from being
discharged, turn the switch off
when the engine is not running.
 When cleaning the inside of the
rear window, be careful not to
scratch or damage the heater wires
or connectors.
 When the soft top is completely
lowered, keep the rear window de-
fogger turned off to avoid damage
to the top.

11 02004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
AM
Fading—AM broadcasts are reflected by
the upper atmosphere—especially at night.
These reflected signals can interfere with
those received directly from the radio sta-
tion, causing the radio station to sound
alternately strong and weak.
Station interference—When a reflected sig-
nal and a signal received directly from a
radio station are very nearly the same
frequency, they can interfere with each
other, making it difficult to hear the broad-
cast.
Static—AM is easily affected by external
sources of electrical noise, such as high
tension power lines, lightening, or electri-
cal motors. This results in static.
CARING FOR YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER
AND TAPES
For the best performance for your cas-
sette player and tapes:
Clean the tape head and other parts regu-
larly.
A dirty tape head or tape path can
decrease sound quality and tangle your
cassette tapes. The easiest way to
clean them is by using a cleaning tape.
(A wet type is recommended.)Use high
−quality cassettes.
Low −quality cassette tapes can cause
many problems, including poor sound,
inconsistent playing speed, and
constant auto− reversing. They can also
get stuck or tangled in the cassette
player.
Do not use a cassette if it has been
damaged or tangled or if its label is
peeling off.
Do not leave a cassette in the player
if you are not listening to it, especially
if it is hot outside.
Store cassettes in their cases and out
of direct sunlight.
Avoid using cassettes with a total play-
ing time longer than 100 minutes (50
minutes per side). The tape used in
these cassettes is thin and could get
stuck or tangled in the cassette player. CARING FOR YOUR COMPACT DISC
PLAYER AND DISCS
The player is intended for use with 12
cm (4.7 in.) discs only.
Extremely high temperatures can keep
your compact disc player from working.
On hot days, use the air conditioning
to cool the vehicle interior before you
listen to a disc.
Bumpy roads or other vibrations may
make your compact disc player skip.
If moisture gets into your compact disc
player, you may not hear any sound
even though your compact disc player
appears to be working. Remove the
disc from the player and wait until it
dries.
CAUTION
Compact disc players use an invisible
laser beam which could cause hazard-
ous radiation exposure if directed
outside the unit. Be sure to operate
the player correctly.

11 22004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
Z17052
CorrectWrong
Handle compact discs carefully, espe-
cially when you are inserting them.
Hold them on the edge and do not
bend them. Avoid getting fingerprints
on them, particularly on the shiny side.
Dirt, scrapes, warping, pin holes, or
other disc damage could cause the
player to skip or to repeat a section of
a track. (To see a pin hole, hold the
disc up to the light.)
Remove discs from the compact disc
player when you are not listening
to them. Store them in their plastic
cases away from moisture, heat, and
direct sunlight.
Z17053
To clean a compact disc: Wipe it with a
soft, lint−free cloth that has been damp-
ened with water. Wipe in a straight line
from the center to the edge of the disc
(not in circles). Dry it with another soft,
lint −free cloth. Do not use a conventional
record cleaner or anti −static device.

1372004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the antilock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
Antilock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
antilock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The antilock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels’ turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.
SD02002a
“ABS” warning light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti −
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti −lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.

1442004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
—Uniform tire quality grading
This information has been prepared
in accordance with regulations issued
by the National Highway Traffic Safe-
ty Administration of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation. It provides
the purchasers and/or prospective
purchasers of Toyota vehicles with in-
formation on uniform tire quality grad-
ing.
Your Toyota dealer will help answer
any questions you may have as you
read this information.
DOT quality grades—All passenger
vehicle tires must conform to Fed-
eral Safety Requirements in addi-
tion to these grades. Quality
grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum sec-
tion width. For example: Treadwear
200 Traction AA Temperature A.Treadwear—
The tread wear grade is
a comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested un-
der controlled conditions on a speci-
fied government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and a half (1 −1/2) times as well
on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual con-
ditions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B, C— The traction
grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C, and they represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion performance. Warning: The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on braking
(straight ahead) traction tests and
does not include cornering (turning)
traction.
Temperature A, B, C—
T he tem per a-
ture grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire’s resist-
ance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a spe-
cified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to de-
generate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sud-
den tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No.109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of per-
formance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.

1662004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
If your engine stalls while driving...1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Sequential manual transmission: Turn
the ignition key to “ACC” or “LOCK”
position. Approximately 5 seconds after,
try starting the engine again.
Manual transmission: Turn the ignition
key to “ACC” or “LOCK”, and try start-
ing the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see “If your
vehicle will not start—” on page 162 in
this Section.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
If engine speed does not increase with the
accelerator pedal depressed down, there
may be a problem somewhere in your
electronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. Howev-
er, if you depress the accelerator pedal
more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the ignition key is turned to ”ACC” or
”LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “N”
(sequential manual transmission) or in
neutral (manual transmission) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
If your engine stalls while
driving If you cannot incr
ease engine
speed